Product Description

Evelyn Hernandez, 1

Evelyn Hernandez is a high school junior who reads Shakespeare for fun, sews her own dresses, and keeps a sketch journal of her daily life. When Varsity quarterback Garvey Valenzuela breaks her heart, she sends him to the emergency room with a busted hand.

Add black magic to her resume...

Evelyn embarks on a dark journey of revenge when she discovers she has the power to make bad things happen by drawing them. Her emotional pain, isolation, and self-hatred lead her down a self-destructive path with dire consequences.

16+ due to sexuality, language, and adult situations

Excerpt:

Evelyn Hernandez knew what it was to be invisible, but this was different, this was being ignored ... being avoided. She tried to tell herself it was just her imagination. How many mornings had she walked through the halls of this school feeling exposed and on display? Knowing the redness of her lips, the blunt cut of her bangs, the pleats on her floral print skirt, everything down to the dark hair on her arms was being criticized by a hundred judging eyes. She wondered why they bothered, because the truth was, no one really cared. But there it was: a glance, a turn, a change in volume, a lull in some conversation as she walked by.

In first period, it had been hard concentrating on her painting. Even in the sanctuary of Ms. Shipley's, it felt like she had been on display in the center of the room, like one of those nude models, the ones Ms. Shipley said she had painted in college.

Second and third were even worse, and by the time she made it to Schwartz's, the tardy bell had rung and she entered the room a full minute late. She had been praying all morning that Garvey Valenzuela would at least have the decency to be absent today, but there he was, looking just as surprised to see her as everyone else. Too many sets of eyes stared at her in silence as she moved toward the front of the room and took her seat directly across from him at the table they shared. She immediately opened her binder against the edge of the table and slouched low enough to protect most of her face from his. There was obviously some kind of writing assignment on the board, but Evelyn couldn't focus to read it.

She had tried so hard not to think about this moment that she was completely unprepared. What should she do? Say something to him? Tell him how much he had hurt her?

Never.

What did she expect him to do, anyway? Whisper an apology? Laugh it off like a joke she should have been able to take? Ignore her?

What she could never have prepared for was the open hostility she heard in his voice when he finally said to her, "I can't believe you even came to school today after what you did."

The contempt. That’s what did it. That's what it finally took to break his spell on her. She lowered her folder just enough to meet his eyes and let him see the hate she had there for him. He looked away. Determined to rip him out of her life, she pulled her sketchbook from her backpack, prepared to remove every page with a memory or picture of him on it. But when she opened it to the sketch of his hands, she stopped.

Never before had she considered destroying any of her drawings. They were memories, mere moments, yes, but more than that, they captured her life as she was living it. For better or for worse, this book represented all that she’d done. If she denied her mistakes, wouldn't she be doomed to repeat them?

But as she stared at the hands on the page before her ... the hands she had allowed to touch her, their creases and lines, their scars, their prints, almost more real on the page that captured them ... she did something she had never done before. She turned her pencil around and began to erase. Not too much, just a little, a few lines here and there, part of this shadow, the edge of that one. And then, leaning closer, the drape of her hair shielding her actions from prying eyes, she began to add to the drawing, altering and recreating it. She wanted to hurt him, punish him for what he’d done to her, and this was the only way she knew how.

Just as Evelyn completed her revision, the sound of Vanessa Galvan's voice from across the room brought her back to the moment. "Hey Garvey," she said, loud enough for everyone in the class to hear, "throw this away for me, please."

A wadded up ball of paper hit Evelyn hard on the back of the head. She flinched, but didn't turn around.

"Do not throw things in this classroom!" snapped Mr. Schwartz from where he sat at his desk. More than likely he had not seen it hit Evelyn.

"Yeah, Vanessa!" Garvey said, also for everyone's benefit. "That's not the trash can."

"Close enough," Vanessa said, getting a few laughs.

Evelyn remained bent over her drawing, teeth clenched, refusing to give either of them the satisfaction of a response.

"I'll pick it up," Garvey sighed, playing the teacher's pet.

He got out of his seat and walked around the table to Evelyn's side. There, he bent over to pick up the ball of paper that had settled near her chair, saying with disgust, "There's too much trash in here already."

She turned on him at that, tears of anger welling up in her eyes.

Now standing in Schwartz's usual place in front of the class, the center of attention, Garvey continued to entertain his audience. "And the quarterback takes the snap!" he said, backing away from Evelyn and imitating the movement with the paper as his football. "He falls back, finds his receiver, and there's the pass!" Lobbing the ball of paper high above his head, he jumped up, twisting in the air with hands open close to his chest to receive his own paper pass ... when somehow, he lost his balance and came crashing down on Schwartz's wooden podium and the frail table next to it.

Papers, books, pens, and pencils literally went flying as the podium spun and toppled, and the table was crushed beneath the weight of Garvey's body.

The class erupted into astonished laughter and applause, but a gradual hush came over the room as Garvey's cry of pain shifted from an embarrassed and genuine groan to hysterical screams of shock.

"Everyone in your seats!" shouted Schwartz as he maneuvered his way to the front of the room.

Garvey, struggling to sit up, had rolled onto his left side. His right arm was extended and supported at the wrist by his left hand. A brand new, freshly sharpened, yellow number-two pencil had pierced the center of his right hand, stabbing clean through and out the other side. The eraser end stuck straight up in his palm and the sharpened point protruded from the back of his hand. An impressive trick, Evelyn thought, except as Garvey held out his hand, blood began to roll down the bottom half of the pencil, gather at the pointy end, and drip messily onto the floor. A small puddle of red was already darkening the carpet beside him.

Schwartz sprang into action as Garvey rolled back, fainting. "Frank! Go get security! Valerie! Call the office and tell them what happened and to call 911! Erick! Grab that roll of paper towels in the cabinet behind you!" He knelt down beside Garvey, telling him to hold still, and then he took the injured hand below the wrist and lifted it up over Garvey's head. His other hand he wrapped around Garvey's bicep and squeezed, pressing his fingers against the inside of the injured arm.

The class was mostly quiet after that, waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Phones were out, silently documenting the event, but Evelyn didn't need a photo; she had her own picture ... only she had not remembered drawing so much blood.

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YA Insider

Posted by Anastasia Gkaitatzi on 28th Jun 2016

"A story where drawing and magic come together and create a dangerous combination..."

The Revenge Artist is a story about bullying, the way it can affect someone's life and how tempting revenge seems...

The strongest part of the book is its main character. Evelyn Hernandez is a strong female character that leads her life the way she wants and not the way people would want her to in order for her to fit in. She's your average high school student, she makes her own dresses and she has two loyal and supportive friends.

Then, one day, everything changes. One of the most popular boys in her high school asks her to go to a party with her, but life is not fair, we all know that and that's the case with our heroine in this story. That's how she discovers that she has a gift, or maybe a curse, which she uses in order to make that guy pay for making her feel this way.

Eventually, she finds out she's a witch but she thinks she's an evil one. But being a good or a bad witch doesn't depend on a single action based on revenge, but on the witch's entire life, her character, her kindness and her heart.

One of the things I really liked is the title itself. It makes you wonder what the story is about. The Revenge Artist is a witty title and an amazingly written story. Philip Hoy created a unique and independent character that impressed me. I am looking forward to read the rest of Evelyn's story!

Night Owl Teen

Posted by Jane Eliot on 18th May 2016

Philip Hoy engagingly depicts the volatile world of high school, where emotions run high and vicious gossip runs amuck. Evelyn Hernandez deals with familiar adolescent issues – first loves, trials with parents and friends, her emerging sexuality, peer pressure, and bullying – but we delve deep into her world and mindset. For a teenager that already doesn’t quite fit in, staying invisible is preferable. Yet she becomes the target of a group of malicious kid’s intent on ruining her for their own amusement. Cyber-bullying plays a prominent role in this story and the extent of the damage and pain Evelyn suffers shows the power of bullies, which explains her desire for empowerment through magic. A few misguided moments, and Evelyn finds herself on a downward spiral.

Hoy’s story is unique, engaging, and interesting. His characters are realistic, and he perfectly presents the teenage voice and experience. I found the parallels to The Crucible fascinating, particularly how Evelyn’s experiences shaped her viewing of the play.

Evelyn is a distinctly strong and authentic character. The rest of the characters are fantastic too. From Evelyn’s parents, to her friends, to the bullies in the school, each character has a distinct personality and they add to the depth of the story.

The plot is fantastic, heart-wrenching and completely believable and moves at a good pace, with just the right amount of twists. An absolutely riveting read!

Evelyn Hernandez is a unique teenager. An artist who also makes her own clothes, she and her friends happily avoid the fresas. But when Evelyn is hurt and humiliated by the star quarterback, she discovers another talent - the ability to make things happen when she draws them. Suddenly revenge becomes a very tangible thing. Evelyn realizes that she can avenge herself on all those who hurt her. But black magic comes at a price. Soon the isolation and pain from the bullying (and cyber-bullying) take their toll and Evelyn is tempted to use her power more and more. The more she does, however, the more alone she feels. And Evelyn begins to think she is exactly what people having been calling her – a witch.

Intriguing

Posted by Suze Lavender on 2nd Feb 2016

Evelyn Hernandez isn't popular at school. She's isn't like everyone else in her class, she stands out. Evelyn draws and she sews her own dresses. She has two very loyal best friends, but she also has a lot of enemies. She always has to be careful, but she can manage. Things are about to get worse though. She's sitting next to Garvey and he seems to like her. He even asks her to go to a party with him. Only nothing is as he made it seem and Evelyn wants revenge. She finds a way to do so by accident, her drawings can make things happen. What will be the consequences if Evelyn makes sure bad things will happen to her enemies?

The Revenge Artist is an original story about a girl whose drawings are special. I liked that idea very much. Evelyn is a lovely girl, she's kind and she's not afraid to dress differently. I love that she has such a great distinct personality. Evelyn is a high school junior and a lot of the scenes in the book are set at her school. Philip Hoy describes them in such a fantastic way. It's like the reader is in the classroom with her, which makes the story realistic and it really comes to life. There's one absolutely awful scene and I felt so bad for Evelyn that I had tears in my eyes.

There's magic in The Revenge Artist and still the story feels like it could have actually happened. That made this book interesting to read for me. Fortunately Evelyn has friends she can trust and she isn't completely on her own. Her conscience struggles with good versus evil. Philip Hoy describes that in a detailed and genuine way. I loved the book talk and that there's a story he uses as a reference. The Revenge Artist is a fabulous, intriguing read. I can't wait to read the next Evelyn Hernandez book.

With Love for Books

Posted by Unknown on 26th Jan 2016

Evelyn Hernandez isn't popular at school. She's isn't like everyone else in her class, she stands out. Evelyn draws and she sews her own dresses. She has two very loyal best friends, but she also has a lot of enemies. She always has to be careful, but she can manage. Things are about to get worse though. She's sitting next to Garvey and he seems to like her. He even asks her to go to a party with him. Only nothing is as he made it seem and Evelyn wants revenge. She finds a way to do so by accident, her drawings can make things happen. What will be the consequences if Evelyn makes sure bad things will happen to her enemies?

The Revenge Artist is an original story about a girl whose drawings are special. I liked that idea very much. Evelyn is a lovely girl, she's kind and she's not afraid to dress differently. I love that she has such a great distinct personality. Evelyn is a high school junior and a lot of the scenes in the book are set at her school. Philip Hoy describes them in such a fantastic way. It's like the reader is in the classroom with her, which makes the story realistic and it really comes to life. There's one absolutely awful scene and I felt so bad for Evelyn that I had tears in my eyes.

There's magic in The Revenge Artist and still the story feels like it could have actually happened. That made this book interesting to read for me. Fortunately Evelyn has friends she can trust and she isn't completely on her own. Her conscience struggles with good versus evil. Philip Hoy describes that in a detailed and genuine way. I loved the book talk and that there's a story he uses as a reference. The Revenge Artist is a fabulous, intriguing read. I can't wait to read the next Evelyn Hernandez book.

4 1/2 stars -Engaging-

Posted by Amazon Customer on 24th Jan 2016

The Revenge Artist may leave some parents wary because of some of its content but let's get real: if your teenager, aka young adult reader, attends high school, they deal with all of this stuff in real life on a regular basis. TRA didn't sugar-coat high school. In fact, the reason I enjoyed it so much is that it managed to touch on all of the complexities that are being a teenager in today's society. School, friends, hormones, temptations, expectations from parents and teachers, wanting to be a good student but wanting to fit in and make friends. I found Evelyn to be a nice balance of irritating and sympathetic. Maybe that's because I saw myself in her. But best of all, Philip Hoy did not disappoint us with an ending. No magical solution. No cop-out. Just honest teenager doing her best, coming clean, and guess what...that's all we want.
The Revenge Artist is an engaging read with some excellent morals particularly relevant to young adults today.

A Masterpiece Novel for Readers of Any Age!

Posted by Erin Callister on 22nd Jan 2016

The Revenge Artist is absolutely gripping and downright fun to read! It will pull you in to deep and dark places you never expected. It is profound, poignant, and full of powerful moral lessons that are perfectly subtle and mysterious so that each individual reader can absorb them uniquely.

It is a masterpiece of emotion that brings the catharsis we all seek from the best of stories shared. Yet The Revenge Artist is one-of-a-kind!

I've never read anything quite like Philip Hoy's characters and dialogue. They are spot-on captures of teens and pop culture today, yet the journeys and arcs they travel are part of a timeless drama that any age group can be inspired by.

Evelyn Hernandez is a modern heroine who teaches us the best and worst of the reality of her supernatural power. Everyone should read this book and embark on this discovery with her of what it means to be hurt by your bullies, loved by your family and friends, but most of all what you can achieve when you truly believe in yourself

What a great book that helped me pass time during my work ...

Posted by Michael Johnathan Bussiere on 22nd Jan 2016

What a great book that helped me pass time during my work breaks and between college classes.. definitely would say this is a must read. Reminds me of some classmates & myself.. Great author hope there is more to come..

Amazing!

Posted by jazmin ibarra on 22nd Jan 2016

Truly an amazing book! The store keeps you in suspense the whole time and you seriously don't know what is going to happen next! Overall amazing!!!!